The No. 4 position in ODIs has always been a talking point for India for some reason or the other. Ambati Rayudu was predicted to occupy that position for the 2019 World Cup. But, in a surprise move, the selectors dropped him from the squad altogether after he produced some low scores heading into ICC event.
Amazingly, there were plenty of question marks over the Men in Blue’s No. 4 batter heading into the 2023 World Cup as well, which was played in India. Amidst plenty of debate over the same, former South African captain AB de Villiers backed his former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) teammate and good friend Virat Kohli to occupy the two-down spot for Team India in one-dayers.
Speaking on his YouTube channel in the build up to the 2023 World Cup, the Proteas legend had commented:
Elaborating further on why he felt Kohli was a good choice for the No. 4 position, De Villiers had added:
Kohli has batted at the No. 4 position 39 times in one-dayers. He has an impressive record at the position, having scored 1,767 runs at an average of 55.21 and a strike rate of 90.66, with seven hundreds and eight fifties.
The former India captain continued batting at his customary No. 3 position in the 2023 ODI World Cup. He had a fantastic tournament, amassing an all-time record tally of 765 runs in 11 matches. The right-handed batter averaged 95.62 at a strike rate of 90.32, and hammered three hundreds and six fifties.
Shreyas Iyer occupied the No. 4 position for the Men in Blue in the 2023 World Cup. He ended up scoring 530 runs at an average of 66.25, with the aid of two hundreds and three half-centuries.
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